CompTIA A+ - Hardware Part 1

Dual-channel memory systems only theoretically double memory bandwidth. What is the bandwidth increase in actual terms?

Dual-channel systems theoretically double the bandwidth. However, in practice, only a 5% to 15% increase is gained.

Which of the following situations is MOST likely to justify an investment in a Cat 6a cable instead of a Cat 6 cable?

A Cat 6a (advanced) cable is designed to be less susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI) than Cat 6. Network performance can be greatly diminished by higher-than-average EMI. When cabling is run under the floor, the cabling must be plenum-insulated so as to be fire resistant and non-toxic, but it does not need to be Cat 6. Streaming video or doing high-resolution printing does not justify the extra cost of a Cat 6a cable when Cat 6 can handle the same bandwidth.

You are connecting an older dot matrix printer to a computer. The printer's cable is a D-shaped connector with 25 pins (pictured below). Which port type does the printer connect to? See pages

A D-shaped, 25-pin connector connects to a computer's parallel port (DB-25 port). Parallel connectors are used with older devices, such as dot matrix printers. Serial ports have nine pins and are used with serial devices. USB ports are rectangular in shape and typically aren't used with older devices. VGA ports have 15 pins (three rows of five pins) and are used with VGA monitors.

What is a disadvantage of using a DVD-R DL (Dual Layer) disc over an ordinary DVD?

A DVD-R DL has slower write speeds when compared to ordinary DVDs. With a DVD-R DL, you might encounter a slight delay in playback when the player changes layers. DVD-R DL discs can store more data (up to 8.5 GB per disc compared to the 4.7 GB on regular single-layer DVD discs). DVD-Recordable discs using dual-layer technology are backwards-compatible with some existing DVD players, DVD-ROM drives, and many DVD recorders. Dual-layer DVDs (DVD-R DL) are recorded using Opposite Track Path (OTP). This speeds up the layer change transitions because the drive doesn't have to skip across the disc to find the next track.

One of the video editors in your company is worried that they could lose a lot of data if their hard drive fails. They have asked you to come up with a solution. To do this, you have decided to implement a RAID 10 solution on their desktop workstation. Which of the following is the MINIMUM number of hard disks that you can use? Answer

A RAID 10 array nests a mirrored array within a striped array. To create a RAID 10 array, a minimum of four hard disks is required (two for the mirrored array and two more to stripe the mirror).

You need a storage device that has a very large storage capacity, is fast, and is relatively inexpensive. Which storage device would BEST suit your needs?

A hard disk has a large memory capacity, is fast, and is relatively inexpensive. USB flash drives do not provide as large a storage capacity as hard disks. Optical disks are inexpensive, but they are not as fast and do not provide the storage capacity of hard disks. Solid-state drives (SSDs) have a large memory capacity and are fast, but they are much more expensive than comparable hard drives.

Which of the following is a magnetic storage device?

A hard disk is a thick, magnetic disk encased in a protective shell. Optical discs, such as CDs and DVDs, use lasers for both reading and writing information. Flash devices store information using programmable non-volatile flash memory. Solid-state drives are flash devices with a storage capacity similar to a small hard drive.

You are using a crimper to attach an RJ-45 connector to a Cat 6 UTP cable. You need to use the T568A standard to connect the individual wires to the connector. Which wire should you connect to pin 1?

According to the T568A standard, the green with white wire should be connected to pin 1 on an RJ-45 connector.

You have decided to run the fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0 command to determine if TRIM is enabled on your SSD drive. Which of the following values will indicate that TRIM is enabled on the drive?

After running the fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0 command, you should see a 0if the utility is enabled on the SSD drive. A 1 appears if TRIM is not enable on the SSD drive. The true and false responses are not valid for the fsutil command.

A technician must press a cable connector's locking tab to remove a faulty fiber optic network cable. The cable connector is designed with two connector ends. Which of the following fiber connector types is the cable using?

An LC connector is used with fiber optic cabling. An LC connector has a locking tab that keeps the connector in place with two ends. An ST connector is locked in place using a push and twist action. An RJ-11 connector is used with twisted-pair cabling. RJ-11 supports up to two pairs of wires. It has a retaining tab that locks the connector in place. An RJ-45 connector is used with twisted-pair cabling. RJ-45 supports up to four pairs of wires. It has a retaining tab that locks the connector in place.

Which connector is used with unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling?

An RJ-45 connector is used with unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling. BNC and AUI are used with coaxial cables. DIX is an Ethernet protocol.

Which Blu-ray standard defines rewritable discs?

BD-RE is the Blu-ray standard that defines rewritable discs. BD-ROM is the read-only standard, and BD-R is the recordable standard. R/RW is used to designate rewritable CD and DVD discs, not Blu-ray discs.

You want to improve the performance of your virtual memory in Windows. Which of the following is a step you can take to do this?

By dividing the paging file between two drives, you can improve your virtual memory performance. Configuring the paging file to have an initial size of one half the physical RAM would not improve the performance. In fact, this would likely decrease the overall performance. Rebooting your system would not change your virtual memory performance. Installing a larger CPU would not affect your virtual memory performance. The CPU processes the program code.

You recently purchased a digital HD antenna to connect to your television. Which of the following is the type of coaxial cable connector you need to make the connection?

Coaxial cable uses different types of connectors. The most common connector (and the one you're probably familiar with) is the F-type connector, which is used to connect a digital HD antenna to your television. A BNC connector is used by very old networks and some specialized industries. EMI (electromagnetic interference) is produced when an electrical current passes through any kind of copper wire. UTP stands for unshielded twisted pair, which is a cheap form of wiring that does not protect against EMI.

Match each label on the left with the correct characteristics on the right.

Compact Discs (CDs) were first developed to store digital music. Later, the CD technology was adapted to store digital computer data as well. Data is stored on a CDs disc surface in a series of lands and pits. Reflective light is used to interpret the data on the disc. A CD-RW is able to be written to many times, erased, and rewritten. CD-RW discs have a capacity of about 650 MB. Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) is an optical media standard that can store large amounts of different types of data (computer data, video, audio). Single-sided discs can hold about 4.7 GB of data. Dual-layer discs can hold up to 8.5 GB of data. A red laser causes a crystal to form, which creates the reflective and non-reflective areas on the bottom of the DVD-RW disc. Dual-layer DVD-RW DL employs two recordable dye layers, each capable of storing about 4.7 GB. The total capacity is 8.5 GB. Blu-ray was originally developed for high-definition video (and expanded content on movie discs) but can also be used for data storage. Blu-ray uses a blue laser instead of the red laser used with CDs and DVDs. The blue laser light has a short wavelength, which allows data to be packed on the disc more tightly. BD-R is Blu-ray Disc-Recordable.

Match each USB connector type on the left with the image label on the right. (Not all USB connector types will be used.)

Connector 1 is a USB 2.0 Type-B connector, which is a square connector with two beveled corners. Type-B connectors are mostly used with printers. Some networking devices, such as hubs and modems, also use this connector. Connector 2 is a USB 2.0 microUSB connector designed for smartphones and tablet devices. microUSB connectors are approximately half the thickness of miniUSB connectors, making microUSB more appropriate for smaller devices. Connector 3 is a USB 2.0 miniUSB connector, which is used by portable electronic devices, such as digital cameras and some portable storage devices. Connector 4 is a USB 3.0 Micro-B connector, which is used by small portable electronic devices, such as portable storage devices.

Which memory rating identifies the fastest memory?

DDR3-2000 has the fastest memory rating. It has a bus frequency of 1000 MHz and a bandwidth of 16000 MB/s. For DDR, DDR2, DDR3, and DDR4, the number following the DDR- designation is always twice that of the bus speed, specifying that the double data rate memory transfers double the data in a single clock cycle. This means that DDR-400 has a bus frequency of 200 MHz. The newer PC- designation (used with all DDR2 and DDR3 memory) identifies the bandwidth, so PC3-8500 has a bandwidth of 8500 MB/s. To get the frequency from the bandwidth, divide the bandwidth by 16, giving you 533 MHz for PC3-8500 and 667 MHz for PC3-10600.

Which of the following BEST describes the theoretical capacity of a DDR4 standard system memory module?

DDR4 theoretically allows DIMMs of up to 512 GB in capacity. DDR3 has a theoretical capacity of 128 GB per DIMM.

You want to upgrade all the memory in your system with the fastest memory available. Which of the following should you choose?

Different memory module forms are not interchangeable. A motherboard will only accommodate one type of memory. The fastest memory in this case is the memory that fits in the system.

You want to connect your workstation to a large, high-definition screen that is over 30 feet away from the workstation for displaying a video presentation with sound. Which of the following ports will BEST support the transmission distance between the workstation and the display before the signal starts degrading?

DisplayPort can carry high-quality digital video and audio signals up to 35 feet without degrading the signal. HDMI can transmit a stream of high-definition digital video and up to eight channels of audio signals 25 feet before degradation. DVI is designed to perform optimally at 16 feet, but good performance may extend to 30 feet before the signal begins degrading. S/PDIF is used to send a digital audio signal to high-end devices. S/PDIF does not support video.

Your server runs in quadruple-channel memory mode. How many memory controllers are being used?

Dual-channel systems use two memory controllers, while triple-channel systems use three memory controllers. Quadruple-channel (quad-channel) systems use four memory controllers. Each memory controller can communicate with one or more memory modules at the same time.

You want to install Windows from optical media on a mirrored RAID disk array. You run the motherboard disk configuration utility and create the RAID 1 array. Then you configure the system to boot from the Windows installation optical media. The Windows installation starts, but does not detect the RAID array. Which of the following will MOST likely allow the RAID array to be detected?

During the installation, browse to and select the appropriate drivers for your RAID controller when prompted to install Windows. Windows requires the drivers for the RAID controller to be able to access the RAID array. When using a RAID array, the SATA mode in the UEFI configuration should be set to RAID. You must select this mode for you to access the motherboard RAID configuration utility and create the array. Using IDE or AHCI for the SATA mode would disable the RAID controller on the motherboard, and each storage device would be seen as a separate disk. Booting to the hard drive would not work because the installation files are stored on the optical disc, not the hard drive.

You have just purchased an Ultrabook with an SSD expansion card that provides SATA 3.0, PCI Express 3.0, and USB 3.0 ports. Which type of expansion slot standard is your Ultrabook using?

Formerly known as Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), the M.2 format is technically a replacement for the mSATA standard and is meant for internally mounted expansion cards. M.2 can provide support for SATA 3.0, PCI Express 3.0, and USB 3.0 ports. M.2 replaces the mSATA standard and so it uses the PCI Express Mini Card. NVM Express, or NVMe, is a memory device used in PCs. It is sometimes called Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface Specification, or NVMHCIS. It's made for accessing non-volatile storage media through a PCI Express bus. HDD is a hard disk drive and is not an expansion card technology.

Match each storage device type on the left with its description and benefits on the right.

Hard disk drives (HDDs) are thick magnetic disks made of aluminum platters. They use read/write heads to access data stored on the platters. They provide up to several terabytes of storage capacity, and their cost per megabyte is very low. A solid-state drive (SSD) is a flash device with storage capacity similar to that of a small hard drive. They are faster than other comparable devices. They also have no moving parts and last longer than other storage devices. Optical discs use lasers to read and write information that is stored in the form of pits on their reflective coating. Optical disks are ideal for storing and playing music and videos. These disks are also portable and cheap and have a long shelf life.

Consider the external ports for a typical PC system (pictured below). See pages.

In this example, the computer back panel has the following ports: A: HDMI - connects HDMI display devices. B: Thunderbolt - combines PCI Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort signals into a single interface. C: IEEE 1394 - connects devices that require fast communication speeds. D: USB - connects external USB devices (such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, or storage device). E: VGA - connects VGA display devices. F: DVI - connects DVI display devices. G: RJ45 - connects the computer to an Ethernet network. H: RJ11 - used by telephones and modems to send analog signals. I: Fiber S/PDIF - sends a digital audio signal to high-end audio devices, such as home theater systems. J: Audio jack - connects analog audio devices (such as speakers, headphones, and microphones).

You have a computer with three hard disks. A RAID 0 volume uses space on Disk 1 and Disk 2. A RAID 1 volume uses space on Disk 2 and Disk 3. Disk 2 fails. Which of the following is true?

In this scenario, Disk 2 is shared between both volumes. If Disk 2 fails, the RAID 1 volume is still accessible because RAID 1, which uses mirroring, can sustain a loss of a single disk. The data on the RAID 0 volume is not accessible. RAID 0 uses striping, which distributes the data evenly between multiple disks. If a single disk fails, the entire volume is lost.

Which of the following motherboard form factors BEST allows for low-consumption power supplies?

Mini-ITX motherboards are designed for low-power, small, form factor computers. Some Mini-ITX motherboards are designed to be used with 100-watt power supplies.

Use the diagram above to match each case type label on the left with its corresponding case, identified by letters on the right. (see pages)

Mini-ITX towers are designed to house Mini-ITX motherboards. Mini-ITX towers are typically smaller than Micro-ATX towers. The ITX form factor was designed for low-power, small, form factor (SFF) computers. The most common ITX form factor is the Mini-ITX form factor. Mini-ITX towers are often used with home theaters PC (HTPCs). Micro-ATX slim towers are typically half the width of a Micro-ATX tower and are designed to lay flat or upright. Micro-ATX towers are smaller cases that are designed to be placed on desktops. Micro-ATX towers typically only have one drive bay and are compatible with the Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX form factors. ATX mid-tower cases are slightly smaller than ATX full-tower cases. Mid-tower cases have fewer external and internal bays. ATX mid-tower cases are compatible with the Standard ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, and some EATX form factors. ATX full-tower cases are the largest computer cases. Full-tower cases have a lot of space for external and internal components. ATX full-tower cases are compatible with the Standard ATX, Micro-ATX, and EATX form factors. The ATX (advanced technology extended) form factor is the most commonly used form factor. Because of its popularity, several variants of the ATX form factor exist. Each variant has different specifications for dimensions and number of expansion slots. However, all ATX variants share the following characteristics: Back plate measurements: 6.25" x 1.75" Power supply specifications: 24-pin ATX power connector, on/off switch runs from the case to the motherboard, and soft-power control (OS can turn the computer off) Expansion slot locations and spacing: 0.8" between slots Mounting hole locations CPU location (top of board near power supply)

Paul has just joined your company as a sales rep in the sales department. He is in the process of purchasing a laptop computer for work use. You have heard that some types of RAM are better than others. Which of the following types of RAM would BEST meet the needs of Paul's new computer?

Non-ECC memory is best for Paul's computer, as he is not running mission-critical operations. The higher cost and decreased performance of ECC memory is not required. ECC memory is more expensive than non-ECC memory and checks for memory processing errors (which can result in slightly lower computer performance than non-ECC memory). This makes ECC memory more reliable than non-ECC memory.

Consider the expansion and memory slots that are highlighted on the motherboard diagram. Select the PCI, PCIe x16, and PCIe x1 slots. (see pages)

PCI slot (top-left, colored white): used to connect PCI expansion boards. PCIe x16 slots (right of the PCI slot, colored blue): used to connect PCIe x16 expansion boards. PCIe x1 slot (right of the PCIe x16 slots, colored white): used to connect PCIe x1 expansion boards.

Pictured below are the cable connectors used by various peripheral devices. Drag each letter on the left to the peripheral device on the right that would most likely use the connector type. (Each connector type can be used only once.) See pages.

Peripheral devices use specific connector types to connect to a computer. The following connector types are pictured: A: HDMI - used to send high-quality digital video and audio signals to LCD monitors and HDTVs. B: TRS jack - used by analog audio devices (such as speakers and headphones). C: Coaxial S/PDIF - used for home theater systems or Dolby Digital surround sound systems. D: VGA (DB-15) (D) - used by analog monitors. E: DVI - used by digital monitors (does not carry audio). F: RJ45 - used by Ethernet network adapters and other networking devices. G: USB - used by USB devices (such as external storage devices). H: RJ11 - used by dial-up modems.

Which generation of SATA storage devices supports up to 6-Gbps data transfer rates and addresses solid-state drives?

SATA3 supports up to 6 Gbps (600 MBps). It mainly addresses solid-state drives with SATA (hard disk drives are not capable of sending data at this rate). SATA1 is the original SATA standard. It provided 1.5 Gbps (150 MBps) of data transfer. SATA2 supports up to 3 Gbps (300 MBps). eSATA is a subset of other standards that is specifically for externally connected devices. eSATAp (also known as Power over eSATA or Power eSATA) is meant to replace eSATA. It combines the functionality of an eSATA and a USB port with a source of power in a single connector.

Match each fiber optic cable type on the left with the appropriate characteristics on the right. Each cable type may be used once, more than once, or not at all.

Single-mode fiber optic cables have the following characteristics: Data transfers through the core using a single light ray (the ray is also called a mode). The core diameter is around 10 microns. Cable lengths can extend a great distance. Multi-mode fiber optic cables have the following characteristics: Data transfers through the core using multiple light rays. The core diameter is around 50 to 100 microns. Cable lengths are limited in distance. Fiber optic cabling does not have a dual-mode type.

Which of the following statements is true regarding single- and double-sided memory?

Single-sided memory uses half the number of memory modules as double-sided memory of the same capacity. Single-sided RAM has memory modules that are organized into a single logical bank; double-sided RAM has modules organized into two banks. Because the computer can only access data in one bank at a time, single-sided RAM allows access to all of the memory, while with double-sided RAM, the computer must switch between banks. Originally, double-sided RAM had modules on both sides of the circuit board, and single-sided RAM had modules on only one side. However, you can also have double-sided RAM with modules on only one side with the internal memory divided into separate banks.

Most devices that you install on a system require little to no configuration. They simply work after you plug them in. This is because devices are automatically assigned the system resources needed to run. Which of the following are the three types of system resources that are USUALLY assigned automatically?

The I/O address, IRQ, and DMA channel system resources are automatically assigned for most devices when they are plugged in. Device drivers are not system resources. Drivers are special programs the device needs to be able to communicate with the OS and vice versa. Usually, device drivers should be downloaded and updated before you install a new device. Digital signatures are not system resources. They verify that the driver package is compatible with the operating system and that the program comes from a reputable source.

You have an IDE hard drive that is powered by a Molex 8981 connector. From the illustration below, select the Molex connector that is being used.

The Molex 8981 connector being used for the IDE drive is 1. The following are the remaining connectors: 2 - internal cable and connector for SATA devices 3 - internal cable and connector for SAS devices 4 - internal ribbon with 40-pin connector for IDE devices

Which of the following form factors does not have expansion slots on the motherboard, but instead uses a riser card for expansion cards?

The NLX form factor uses a riser card in the middle of the system board (expansion slots are located on the riser card rather than the system board). The BTX form factor was designed for better thermal management. Micro-ATX is a smaller version of the ATX form factor with fewer expansion slots. The ATX form factor is the most common form factor.

The image below illustrates the four common external cable types for hard drives. Each type is identified by a number. See pages

The appropriate matches are: 1 - eSATA 2 - SCSI 3 - SAS 4 - iSCSI

As the director of procurement for your company's Sales department, you are working with the IT manager and CIO to determine the technical requirements for purchasing new laptops for your sales representatives. The sales representatives often store a significant number of multimedia files (such as videos) on their laptops, which they use for customer education and demonstration purposes. They also want to boot their Windows operating system quickly. What would be the BEST price-performance purchasing decision when it comes to providing storage media for the new laptops for the sales representatives (based on their requests)?

The best price-performance decision would be to include both an internal SSD and HDD in the new laptops. The SSD would ensure that the operating system boots quickly, while it would be relatively inexpensive to include a large capacity HDD for multimedia file storage. While an SSD could store both the operating system and multimedia files, it would be a much more expensive solution than storing the multimedia files on an HDD. Using an HDD for the operating system would make booting the computer much slower than using an SSD for the same purpose. Using an external SSD for the multimedia files would be much more expensive than using an internal HDD. In addition, the SSD could become lost and compromise any sensitive company data stored on it.

Drag each bus type on the left to the appropriate characteristic on the right. (You can use a bus type more than once.)

The following are characteristics of the listed bus types: Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) The CPU and bus can process concurrently. Replaced ISA and VESA bus standards. PCI Express (PCIe) Each bus slot routes data through a point-to-point dedicated connection. Typically used for network cards, USB cards, and sound cards. Data rates depend on the protocol version and number of transmission lines. AGP A dedicated bus type used by dedicated video cards. Audio/modem riser (AMR) Attaches to the motherboard to allow additional cards to be installed.

Consider the memory modules shown in the image below. Drag each label on the left and drop it on the letter on the right that best identifies the associated memory module form. see pages

The memory modules have the following characteristics: DDR (double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM) DIMM has a single notch, slightly off-center. DDR memory has 184 pins. DDR2 DIMM has a notch that is slightly closer to the middle and has more pins (240) than DDR memory. DDR3 DIMM has a single notch that is more off-center than the notch for DDR or DDR-2. Like DDR2, DDR3 has 240 pins. DDR4 DIMM has a single notch, slightly right of center. DDR4 has 288 pins. 144-pin SO-DIMM is used in notebook computers. The notch is slightly off-center. 200-pin SO-DIMM has a notch that is farther off-center than 144-pin SO-DIMM. These modules are used by DDR2 and DDR3 memory. UniDIMM has a notch that is positioned similar to 200-pin SO-DIMM. UniDIMM supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory.

You have a CD-RW drive that advertises speeds of 32x/12x/48x. What is the read speed of the drive?

The read speed is 48x. When multiple numbers are listed together, the first number is the record speed, the second number is the rewrite speed, and the last number is the read speed. If the drive does not perform rewrite functions, the middle number is omitted.

While sorting through a box of cables in your storage room, you find one that matches the configuration shown in the image. Which of the following BEST describes the type of cable configuration and the purpose for which it would be used? Orange 6 left/2 right

This is a crossover cable configuration. Using this configuration, computers can connect directly to one another. The easiest way to create a crossover cable is to arrange the wires in the first connector using the T568A standard and arrange the wires in the second connector using the T568B standard. The illustrated cable is not a patch (straight-through), RJ-11, or rollover cable.

While sorting through a box of cables in your storage room, you find one that matches the configuration shown in the image. Which of the following BEST describes the type of cable configuration and the purpose for which it would be used? orange 6 left/6 left

This is a patch (or straight-through) cable configuration. Using this configuration, computers can connect to the network through a hub or switch with a patch cable. Patch cables use the same wire configuration on each connector end. The illustrated cable is not a crossover, RJ-11, or rollover cable.

You want to build a new system that supports 16 GB of memory. Which of the following is the MOST important consideration when building the computer?

To use over 4 GB of memory, you need a 64-bit processor and a 64-bit operating system. 32-bit processors support up to (or slightly below) 4 GB of memory. While 16 GB of memory will likely use DDR2, DDR3, or DDR4, this is not a requirement. ECC memory includes error correction. CAS latency (CL) is a delay between the time data is requested and the time that the data is available on a memory module's output pins. While lower latency results in faster processing, CL is not the most important consideration in this scenario.

What is the recommended size of the paging file under normal circumstances on a Windows 11 system with 16 GB of RAM installed?

Unless you are running applications that require large amounts of swap file space, the optimal setting for virtual memory swap file size is about the same size as the amount of physical RAM in the computer. In this case, 16 GB of memory is sufficient to simply have a paging file equal to the amount of physical RAM. Systems that have a very small amount of physical RAM installed may require a paging file that is twice the size of the installed RAM. Systems with a moderate amount of physical RAM installed may require a paging file that is about one and a half times the size of the installed RAM. Systems with very large amounts of physical RAM installed typically don't require a large paging file. If the paging file is too small, the system will spend excess time swapping memory data into and out of the swap file. This condition is known as thrashing, where system performance (particularly usability) becomes very poor, but hard drive activity is almost constant.

Your computer currently uses a 5,400 RPM hard disk. You want to improve your computer's overall performance by optimizing your hard disk performance. Which of the following would be the MOST effective means to optimize your hard disk performance? (Select two.)

Upgrading to a 10,000 RPM hard disk and upgrading to a SATA 3 disk interface are the two most effective steps you can take to improve your computer's overall performance. The 7,200 RPM hard disk is not the fastest hard disk option. At 600 Mbps, the SATA 3 disk interface is twice as fast as the SATA 2 interface. Although hard disk drives are not capable of sending data at the full 600 Mbps, they can go faster than the SATA 2 interface allows. Implementing RAID 0 does improve hard disk performance, but it requires a minimum of two disks. Adding another hard disk while keeping your current 5,400 RPM disk would not improve your hard disk performance as much as upgrading to a 10,000 RPM hard disk with a SATA 3 disk interface.

You are providing telephone support for a user who is trying to connect a computer to a projector. You know that the projector only has a VGA port. How would you describe the connector that the user should look for? Answer

VGA ports, also called DE-15 ports, are named for their characteristic D-shape and 15 pins. A D-shaped port with 25 pins is a parallel port. A round port with 6 pins is a PS/2 port. A rectangular port with one beveled corner is a DisplayPort.

You are using Disk 1 and Disk 2 on your Windows 11 workstation to create a RAID 0 striped volume. Disk 1 stores 500 GB, and Disk 2 stores 1.5 TB. What will be the total amount of available disk space allocated for the striped volume?

When you create a striped array, the two disks involved have to be exactly the same size. If not, the amount of available space on the larger drive will be reduced to match the size of the smaller drive. In this scenario, Disk 1 is the smaller drive (500 GB), so the amount of available space on Disk 2 will be reduced to 500 GB. There will be a total of 1 TB of available space on the striped volume.

Annette has purchased a new external DVD drive to use with her PC. She inserts a DVD into the drive and, after several seconds, she receives an error message indicating that the drive is not accessible. What is the FIRST thing Annette should do to try to resolve the issue?

When you place a disc in the drive, it can take several seconds for the drive to recognize the new disc and spin up to speed. If you receive a message saying that the drive is not accessible after trying to access a recently inserted new disc, wait a few seconds and try again. While trying to reboot the DVD drive by unplugging it from the PC and plugging it back in again would cause the PC to re-recognize the device, it would not solve the issue of the drive trying to read and access the DVD. Because the DVD drive is attempting to access the DVD disc, the drive is already recognized and listed as a device in Device Manager. While you could try ejecting the DVD from the drive and then re-inserting it, the first step should be to simply give the DVD drive a few more seconds to read the DVD and then try accessing it again.

Which of the following is the generally accepted rule for manually setting the initial and maximum paging file size?

While there can be exceptions to the rule, the commonly accepted rule of thumb for the paging file size is one and a half times the physical RAM for the initial size and three times the RAM for the maximum size. None of the other options are commonly accepted initial and maximum paging file sizes.

Review the virtual memory configuration for the Windows 11 system shown below. Which configuration change could you make to the paging file to BEST increase system performance given that this Windows 11 system has 16 GB of system RAM and three hard disks installed? see pages

You can sometimes achieve a modest increase in system performance by adding paging files to other storage devices in your system. This offloads some of the paging file work to a disk other than to the system volume. With the amount of system RAM installed on this computer, creating a larger paging file or increasing its initial size probably won't increase system performance. Generally speaking, you should keep a paging file on the system volume. Without it, Windows can't create a dump file if the system crashes.

You have an existing computer running Windows 11. You want to configure a RAID 1 array in the computer. You install two new SATA drives and then use the RAID controller integrated in the motherboard to define a RAID 1 array using both drives. When you boot the computer, Windows does not show the logical RAID drive. What should you do?

You must install the RAID driver so that Windows recognizes arrays created by the motherboard RAID utility. Without the driver, Windows will not be able to see the logical drive defined by the array. When you define the array, you configure the BIOS to use RAID as the SATA type. If you had not completed this step, you would not be able to run the RAID configuration utility. You use AHCI to configure SATA drives to support hot swapping. Setting the jumpers is designed to help older drives work smoothly with newer equipment by limiting the data transfer rate. There are no jumpers on newer hard drives (manufactured after 2002).

You have been having trouble with your laptop crashing. You would like your computer to create a memory dump file when it crashes. Where should you place the paging file?

You must place the paging file on the system volume if you want Windows to be able to create a memory dump file when it crashes.

You are in the process of installing a new motherboard in your workstation. You have already installed the CPU, heat sink, and memory. You have inserted the I/O shield into the case, fastened the standoffs to the case, and attached the motherboard to the standoffs. You are now ready to complete the installation. Drag each remaining step on the left to the right in the appropriate order that you need to complete them.

You should perform the steps in the following order to complete the motherboard installation: Connect the power and accessory cables. Connect your drives to the SATA connectors. Install additional devices in the expansion slots. Conned the wires for the front/top panel ports. Document the settings for the new motherboard.

You need to purchase a case that meets the following criteria: Compatible with most form factors. At least two external and internal bays. Good balance of size and space. Which case type should you purchase?

You should purchase an ATX mid-tower case. ATX mid-tower cases are compatible with the most motherboard form factors and typically have at least two external bays. Most ATX full-tower cases are not compatible with Mini-ITX motherboards and are larger than necessary for most applications. Micro-ATX towers are only compatible with Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX form factors. Mini-ITX towers are only compatible with the Mini-ITX form factor.

You want a storage device that has the ability to: Integrate data and device power into a single cable. Use a connector and port that is neither L-shaped nor rectangular. Which of the following SATA devices is the BEST for these conditions?

eSATAp (also known as Power over eSATA or Power eSATA) is meant to replace eSATA. It combines the functionality of eSATA and USB ports with a source of power in a single connector. It integrates data and device power into a single cable, and the connector and port are neither L-shaped nor rectangular. SATA1 is the original SATA standard. It provided 1.5 Gbps (150 MBps) of data transfer. SATA2 supports up to 3 Gbps (300 MBps). SATA3 supports up to 6 Gbps (600 MBps). It mainly addresses solid-state drives with SATA (hard disk drives are not capable of sending data at this rate). eSATA is a subset of other standards that is specifically for externally connected devices.

After installing a new SSD drive on your Windows 11 system, you determine that the TRIM functionality has not been automatically enabled on the drive by the Windows operating system. You need to manually turn on TRIM from a Command Prompt. The drive's volume has been assigned a drive letter of E:. Which of the following commands MUST you use to enable this feature?

f it is disabled, you can manually enable TRIM on an SSD drive with the fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0 command. The fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify command detects whether TRIM is enabled, but doesn't actually turn it on. The fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify 0 E: command is an invalid command. The chkdsk e: /R command checks the E: drive for bad sectors and tries to recover readable data. The bootrec /rebuildbcd command rebuilds the boot configuration data.

Which of the following external hard drive cable connectors are hot-pluggable?

iSCSI (internet Small Computer System Interface) is used to access enterprise-class storage systems by carrying SCSI commands over TCP/IP networks and is hot-pluggable. Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) cables support emerging data storage technologies and are hot-pluggable. eSATA and SCSI are both external hard drive cable connectors, but are not hot-pluggable. IDE is an internal hard drive connector type, not an external cable connector type.

You are an IT technician for your company. As part of your job, you must manage and support a wide variety of devices. Which of the following devices MOST likely use a microUSB connector? (Select two.)

microUSB connectors are typically used by compact, portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets, GPS devices, and some external storage peripherals. Printers and scanners typically use a Type-B connector. Some networking devices, such as hubs and modems, also use Type-B connectors.